TLDR
Illinois opened its first federally funded NEVI charging station on July 22 in Casey, a four-port DC fast site, and awarded $23.5 million more for 29 additional projects. Connecticut regulators voted July 1 to scale AmpUp's Adapt & Earn managed charging pilot statewide after an 18-month test on roughly 1,000 ports proved it could shift charging off-peak during a heatwave when wholesale prices spiked over 3,600%. Einride announced on July 21 it will acquire charging software company Flipturn in an all-stock deal, adding 250 megawatts of fleet charging capacity to build what it calls North America's largest heavy-duty charging network. Tumwater, Washington is offering multifamily properties up to $12,500 per port for charger make-ready work, but the interest-form window closes July 31. And EV Connect and Schneider Electric launched an upgraded Charge Pro commercial Level 2 charger built for multifamily, workplace, and fleet sites.
Illinois Opens Its First NEVI-Funded Charging Station
The Illinois Department of Transportation opened the state's first charging station built with National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding on July 22, at a Mach 1 travel center on Illinois Route 49 near Interstate 70 in Casey. The site has four DC fast chargers, built with an $854,641 competitive grant awarded to Phillips 66 in partnership with Meyer Oil and Electrify America.
IDOT also announced $23.5 million in new awards. The third round of Illinois's NEVI program will fund 29 additional charging projects, adding 140 new fast-charging ports across the state. Combined with the first two rounds, IDOT has now conditionally awarded $67.2 million for 91 stations, totaling 489 ports.
What this means for property owners. Federal NEVI dollars kept moving through the second half of 2026 even as the separate 30C business charger tax credit expired on June 30. If you're a commercial site host in Illinois who applied in an earlier NEVI round, or you're weighing the fourth round that opened in early July, this is confirmation the program is funding real, operating stations, not just award letters.
Connecticut Moves Managed EV Charging From Pilot to Statewide Program
Connecticut's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority voted on July 1 to scale up AmpUp's Adapt & Earn managed charging program statewide, the only project chosen to advance among four pilots completed under Cycle 1 of the state's Innovative Energy Solutions program. The decision invites AmpUp and Connecticut's electric utilities to jointly design a statewide rollout.
The pilot proved the model works under real stress. Run with Eversource Energy over 18 months, Adapt & Earn enrolled roughly 1,000 charging ports across 200 sites spanning eight commercial customer segments. During a regional heatwave when wholesale electricity prices spiked more than 3,600%, the program shifted charging off-peak at roughly a third of the cost of the peak supply it displaced. Site host enrollment held at 100% with zero opt-outs.
What this means for commercial and multifamily property owners. Managed charging pays hosts to let drivers' charging sessions pause briefly during grid stress, in exchange for credits, and it has struggled to reach public and shared chargers because the property owner and the vehicle owner are different people. Connecticut's pilot shows that gap can close without hurting the driver experience. If your utility doesn't yet offer a managed charging option for a shared or public site, this is worth raising, since it can turn charging infrastructure into a small revenue stream rather than a pure cost.
Einride to Acquire Flipturn, Building North America's Largest Heavy-Duty Charging Network
Electric freight company Einride announced on July 21 it will acquire Flipturn, a charging and energy management software company, in an all-stock deal valued at $38.4 million. The deal is expected to close in July 2026.
The acquisition roughly doubles Einride's charging footprint. Flipturn's existing customer base, which includes some of North America's largest truckload, autonomous, and last-mile delivery fleets, brings more than 250 megawatts of charging capacity under management. Einride says the combined company will operate what it calls the largest heavy-duty electric vehicle charging network in North America, pairing Flipturn's charge point and energy management software with Einride's brokerage layer connecting fleets to third-party charging networks.
What this means for commercial and fleet property owners. Heavy-duty charging is consolidating fast: last week's issue covered WattEV opening its seventh California truck depot, and this week a software and energy management platform just doubled its scale through acquisition rather than new construction. If you're evaluating a site for freight or fleet charging, the company managing the software behind the chargers matters as much as the hardware vendor, since that's what determines whether multiple trucks can share a limited electrical connection without tripping demand charges.
Tumwater, Washington's Multifamily Charger Grant Window Closes July 31
The City of Tumwater is accepting interest forms from owners of multifamily properties with five or more housing units who want help installing Level 2 EV chargers. Grant funding can cover up to 100% of eligible design, planning, engineering, and installation costs, capped at $12,500 per charging port.
The deadline is close. Interest forms are due by midnight on July 31, 2026, four days after this issue. Applications are considered first-come, first-eligible, with priority given to properties that include affordable housing units. Submitting a form does not guarantee funding.
What this means for multifamily property owners. A $12,500-per-port make-ready subsidy is large enough to change the economics of a small apartment or condo charging installation entirely. If your property is in Tumwater and you've been putting off an EV charging decision, this week is the week to submit the interest form, since a missed deadline on a first-come program is not something you can appeal later.
EV Connect and Schneider Electric Launch an Upgraded Commercial Level 2 Charger
EV Connect and Schneider Electric announced an upgraded Charge Pro commercial Level 2 charging station on July 22, aimed at multifamily properties, workplaces, fleets, hotels, and retail or destination charging sites rather than single-family homes.
The hardware comes bundled with software and support. Charge Pro is offered in two power levels, 48 amps (11.5 kW) or 80 amps (19.2 kW), and includes EV Connect's Software+ network management, commissioning, driver support, and a five-year hardware warranty as part of the package rather than as add-ons.
What this means for commercial property owners. Bundling the network management software and a multi-year warranty into the hardware purchase is a response to a real pain point: a charger that works on day one but has no support plan a year later is a liability, not an amenity. When you're comparing commercial Level 2 options for a multifamily or workplace site, ask what's actually included past the initial installation, not just the sticker price of the hardware.
By the Numbers
$23.5 million: Illinois's third NEVI funding round, awarded July 22, 2026 for 29 additional charging projects and 140 new fast-charging ports.
$67.2 million: Illinois's total NEVI funding conditionally awarded across three rounds, covering 91 stations and 489 ports.
1,000+: Charging ports across roughly 200 Connecticut sites enrolled in AmpUp's Adapt & Earn managed charging pilot, scaled statewide by PURA's July 1, 2026 decision.
$38.4 million: All-stock value of Einride's planned acquisition of charging software company Flipturn, announced July 21, 2026 and expected to close this month.
250 MW: Fleet charging capacity Flipturn brings to Einride, more than doubling Einride's managed energy under one platform.
$12,500: Maximum per-port grant available to Tumwater, Washington multifamily properties that submit an interest form by July 31, 2026.
Sources: Illinois Department of Transportation (NEVI program release and third-round awards, July 22, 2026), WFIW/WOKZ Radio and Effingham Radio (IDOT coverage, July 23-24, 2026), Electrek (July 23, 2026), Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (Docket No. 22-08-07 decision, July 1, 2026), AmpUp (Adapt & Earn results release via PR Newswire, July 2026), Automotive World and EV Infrastructure News (Connecticut coverage), Einride and Flipturn (acquisition release via GlobeNewswire, July 21, 2026), electrive.com (July 22, 2026), FreightWaves and StockTitan (Einride/Flipturn deal coverage), City of Tumwater, Washington (multifamily EV charger grant notice), EV Connect and Schneider Electric (Charge Pro product release, July 22, 2026), The Weekly Driver. evcharginghelp.com is editorially independent and receives no compensation from any company mentioned.
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